HARMONY FIRE DISTRICT

ANNUAL MEETING 6/6/2009

 

Present:       Chief Stuart Pearson; Moderator - Raymond Fogarty, Jr.;

                    Board Members - George Kain, James Richards & Milton Huston

                   Treasurer - Sandra Owens; Tax Collector - Kimberly Barber; 

                    Clerk - Ann Dahlquist; Attorney - Fred Mason, Jr.

 

Absent:        Board Member - Louise Michaels

 

I. – Meeting Called to Order at 10:00 am by Moderator Fogarty.

 

II. – Reading of Warrant  by Clerk Ann Dahlquist

 

III. – Election Results Announced –

Moderator Fogarty read the results of the voting for this annual meeting. 

 

The results were as follows:

          Office                    Term           Candidate                      Votes Received

          Moderator             (1) year        Raymond Fogarty, Jr.               12     

          Treasurer               (1) year        Sandra S. Owens                      12     

          Clerk                     (1) year        Ann Dahlquist                           12

          Exec. Committee   (4) years      Milton Huston                           12

                                                         

IV. - Approval of the Minutes from June 7, 2008 Annual Meeting. 

Moderator Fogarty asked the board if there were any discrepancies to note on the minutes.  If not, he would like to call for a motion to accept them. 

 

Milton made a motion to accept the minutes.  Jim seconded the motion.  The motion carried.

 

V. – Moderator Opening Remarks –

Ray then introduced himself and asked the other members of the district board to introduce themselves as well.  Ray also pointed out that three of the board members present were also currently committee chairmen.  Milton – Building Committee for the new kitchen, Jim – Rescue Committee & George Kain – Call Pay Review.  Louise, who was not able to make it, handled the committee for the Strategic Plan.  The Strategic Plan was recognized in national publications this past year.  He thanked the board members for taking active roles in these areas.

 

Then he thanked Alyce Mack and Susan Walsh for overseeing the voting polls for this meeting.  The volunteered their time to make our election possible.

 

Next Ray requested that the Chief say a few words about Daniel R. Beck, Jr. who passed away this past year.  The Chief stated that Mr. Beck was a life member of the Harmony Fire Department being his involvement in the early 1960’to the late 1970’s.  His son Danny Beck, also a life member, is still currently on the roster and his Grandson Randy was also a member in the past.  There was then a moment of silence.  The District Board extended its sincere sympathy to Mr. Beck’s wife Dorothy and his family.

 

Ray also mentioned that when presenting the budget today we would be voting on the purchase of the new rescue.  Additionally, we will be presenting the renewal of a three year contract for the Chief.

 

VI. – Chief’s Report –

The Chief stated that the written report that he has presented is a collection of data showing all of the achievements that we have accomplished at the Harmony Fire District over the past year.  It shows the number of runs we have responded to and the number of hours we put into training.  He said he was proud to say that our crew continues to strive to be the best fire department that they can be.  He thanked the men and women of the department for their dedication. 

 

Jim made a motion to accept the Chief’s Report.  George seconded it. 

The motion carried.

 

VII. – Treasurer’s Report –

Sandy then presented her report.  The balance as of April 30, 2009 was $301,080.71.  We do have approximately $98,000 set aside for the purchase of a new rescue.      

 

She next explained the budget report she had to present.  The report shows the 2008-2009 budget amounts, the projected year-end total expenditures and the proposed budget amounts for fiscal year 2009-2010.

 

Mr. Nadeau asked about home values after the property valuations and how that would affect the tax revenue.  Kim stated that the next property tax valuation would not be effective for about three years.  Mr. Nadeau also mentioned that taxpayers receiving Social Security had very limited income.  Ray stated that the district board was very aware to the state of finances of the general public and therefore we have kept our budget very limited and the only capital item we are considering is for funds to complete the purchase of our new rescue.  The current rescue we use is now 10 years old.  Ray also mentioned that we did have a committee, led by George, within the last year look into our tax exemptions at a taxpayers request.  George and Kim worked with Viviane Valentine, the Glocester Tax Assessor.  Our exemptions are consistent with the Town of Glocester’s, which has one of the highest, if not the highest exemption rates in the state.  Kim relayed that our tax exemption policy is that all exemptions are applied for, documented, approved and followed up on at the Glocester Tax Assessors office.  Information is then automatically rolled over to the fire district and we apply the exemptions to our bills, but at our own rate.

 

At this time Ray asked for a round of applause for Sandy.  The job she does as Treasurer is much more time consuming than the other positions on the board and requires much more dedication.  Ray thanked her for all of her hard work.

 

Milton made a motion to accept the Treasurer’s Report.  Jim seconded it. 

The motion carried.

 

VIII. – Tax Collector’s Report –

Kim then presented her report.  As of today’s date the past due tax balance is $87,805.41.  The tax sale is scheduled for August 19th at 10:00 am.  Of the 23 properties on the original list, eight have already paid.  Past due notices had gone out in April and certified mailings will be going out next.  Approximately $25,000 in tax revenue has been received since the past due notices were mailed.  Many phone calls have been received regarding the notices and many payments arrangements have been made.  She is trying to be as flexible as possible with the taxpayers. 

 

George made a motion to accept the Tax Collector’s Report.  Milton seconded it. 

The motion carried.

 

IX. – Budget for Fiscal Year 2009/2010 –

 

Administration:  Proposed $74,424.00

Milton made a motion to approve .  The motion was seconded by George.  There were no questions on this category, so a vote was taken. The motion carried.

 

Personnel:  Proposed $287,124.00

Jim made a motion to approve.  The motion was seconded by Milton.  Ray explained that the Chief has a clause in his contract providing for an incentive should grants be received.  Therefore, since we have such a large sum of pending grants, we have increased this line item accordingly.  Addtionally, Kim will have a 3% pay increase and the Chief will have an increase according to specifications within the 3 year contract that was just signed.  The motion carried.

 

Fire Protection/Equipment/Operations.:  Proposed $56,000.00

George made a motion to approve.  The motion was seconded by Jim.  There were no questions on this category, so a vote was taken.  The motion carried.

 

Emergency Maintenance:  Proposed $29,100.00

Milton made a motion to approve.  The motion was seconded by George.  Ray explained that the large drop in the fuel line item was due to the fact that last year we had budget very high on this item, since it was unknown how high the prices would go.  Also, he wanted to comment that last year although we had a contract amount with Reichert when the prices dropped dramatically, he reduced our rate accordingly.  This was something he did not have to do, but he did.  Ray asked that Reichert Oil be sent a thank you note of appreciation, letting them know that they were publicly recognized at our annual meeting.  The motion carried.

 

Building & Grounds:  Proposed $35,500.00

Jim made a motion to approve.  The motion was seconded by Milton.  There were no questions on this category, so a vote was taken. 

The motion carried.

 

Other:  Proposed $25,725.00

Milton made a motion to approve.  The motion was seconded by George .  There were no questions on this category, so a vote was taken.  The motion carried.

 

Mr. Nadeau asked about the anticipated revenue forecast that was listed on the budget worksheet.  Sandy stated that there was $30,000 that couldn’t be counted on.  Ray explained that the $30,000 was the anticipated car tax revenue paid to the district by the state.  We are not sure at this time if we can count on getting that money at this time.  The state budget has not been finalized as of yet.

 

George made a motion to accept the operating budget for fiscal year 2009/2010 in the amount of $507,873.00.  Jim seconded the motion.  The motion carried.

 

X. – Capital Improvement Fund for fiscal Year 2009/2010 –

Carry over of unfinished items from the fiscal year 2008/2009, $2,000.00 for the creation of a Personnel Handbook. 

 

It is proposed to use the Capital Improvement fund of $30,000.00 for the upcoming year to fund the purchase of the new rescue.  Mr. Nadeau asked about the purchase of the rescue.  Jim stated that the committee had contacted several manufacturers and got preliminary figures between $140,000 and 160,000.  Plans have also been made to either put the old rescue in for a trade-in or to possible sell it to other departments in town for a reserve.  Ray clarified that we would vote on purchasing a new rescue, with the expense not to exceed $170,000.  Milton made a motion to accept the amount requested for capital improvements for 2009/2010 in the amount of $30,000.00.  George seconded the motion.  The motion carried.

 

XI. – Tax Rate for fiscal year 2009/2010 –

Jim made a motion to set the tax rate for 2009/2010 at One Dollar and Twenty Cents ($1.20) per thousand dollars of evaluation.  George seconded the motion. 

The motion carried.

 

XII. – Recognition –

Ray wanted to thank the Chief, Kim and the crew from the board.  They put in so many hours of work collectively, 24 hours a day 7 days a week, it’s not just one person, it’s a team effort.  The result of all this hard work clearly shows.  Ray asked that this message get relayed to the crew at the next Association meeting on behalf of the entire board.  George made the motion to commend the crew at the next Association meeting.  Milton seconded the motion the motion carried.

 

George also wanted to add an extra thank you to Kim for all the extra work she does, above and beyond what she is required to do, on her own time.  Ray thanked her for all the extra she does for the department.

 

Ray also mentioned that we would be working on our Personnel Handbook next year, if anyone would be interested in working on the committee.  This handbook would cover the administrative side of the district.

 

This coming year we will also be looking into energy efficiency and cost savings for our building in the future.

 

On the training side over the next year, Ray said he couldn’t begin to imagine what they would be working on.  He sees the crew here every Monday night training diligently and he’s sure that will continue.  He encouraged the Chief to keep up the good work.

 

Next Ray wanted to recognized the Chief for his 10 Years of Service to the Harmony Fire District.  Ray and George presented the Chief with a plaque from the board.  The following informal summary of the Chief’s 10 years was ready by Ray and he asked that it be entered into the minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Text Box:   CHIEF STUART D. PEARSON 10 Year Anniversary 1999 – 2009 Highlights: Over the course of his tenure here as Fire Chief he has witnessed such local & national disasters as the Columbine & Virginia Tech massacres, the Station Night Club Fire & the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers 9/11. As a certified RI Fire Inspector & a Commissioner of the RI Fire Safety Code Board of Appeal & Review, he has also seen many changes made to the RI Fire Code as a direct result of the Station Night Club Fire. He testified in front of the House Oversight Commission to study the ramifications of the Fire Safety Code. He took part in the celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the Harmony Fire Department & was also here to usher in the new Millenium & prepare for Y2K. Increased our networking capacity with other fire departments in town, as well as other Glocester Town Offices ( ie. Planning and Building & Zoning.) Radio alarm boxes installed at all schools & public buildings Per/diem EMT’s added Monday thru Friday 8:00 am – 4:00 pm Implementation of Incident Command System Town-wide Strategic Plan document created Glocester Health and Safety Day – Annual Event Started in 2005 by Police & Fire Staunch supporter of the Firemen’s Relief Fund – testifying in front of the RI Senate Part of the RIAFC Congressional Delegation to Washington, DC for several years Attended Fire Prevention Week at the RI State House with Governor Carcieri Committee Member for the creation of Rhode Island’s new Fire Academy to be built in Exeter. Appeared on TV – Cox Public Access – Elderly Independence Channel 10 Public Safety Spots – 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving,                                                         Christmas, Carbon Monoxide & Grilling Developed a System of Dry Hydrants and Cisterns for a rural water supply within Harmony  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Text Box: The Harmony Fire Department Roster of Volunteers has been steady, with 4 life members and many 20-15-10 year members active on the roster still. They love what they do and become an extended family. I believe this says much for the leadership and environment in general at the station. The Harmony Fire District has consistently come in within budget during the past 10 fiscal years, operating on a cash basis, with only a building loan open on the books. NO TAX INCREASES IN THE LAST 5 YEARS !!! Commissions & Appointments: Glocester Public Safety Commission RI Fire Safety Code Board of Appeal & Review Past President of RI Association of Fire Chiefs RI Representative to the NE Association of Fire Chiefs Member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs Advisory Committee of Harmony Hill School Apparatus: New Car 1 New Rescue 2 Engine 21 Zodiac Boat Equipment: Life Pak 12 for Rescue Renovation of radio room & communications equipment upgrade Computerized rescue reports – laptop computer installed on rescue AED’s placed on all Fire Apparatus Extractor & Dryer purchased to maintain Turnout Gear Grants (over the past 10 years total well over $425,000): Champlin Foundation: – Emergency Generator for Building – Zodiac boat, motor, trailer & gear for Water/Ice Rescue – Jaws-of-Life – Class A Foam System for E-21 Gregson Foundation – 2 Thermal Imaging Cameras  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Text Box: F.E.M.A.: – Powerpoint projector, screen, sound     system, video camera, laptop computer, desktop pc, copy     machine & other training aids – Self Contained Breathing Apparatus’s with integrated voice activated     Components for All Glocester Fire Departments – Command Vehicle to be shared by Police & Fire Departments – Upgrade of Radio Repeater System A.F.G. – Sparky & assorted fire prevention material RI State Forestry Grants & RI State Firemen’s League – several for training & equip. Senator Fogarty & Representative Winfield – numerous grants over the years Kilmartin Foundation Grants received annually for betterment of HFD Private Donation – High Powered Illuminating Scene Lights E-22 Building & Grounds: Brick facing applied to building exterior – “Buff vs. Red dilemma” Paving of driveway around building New lighting inside & outside Relocation of mechanics room Air conditioning installed Plymo-Vent Air Clean System for apparatus floor New telephone system New Exercise Room and Equipment New fire gear lockers for apparatus floor Kitchen renovated – including installation of a new hood & duct system and a fire suppression system, bringing us into compliance with RI Fire Code Building & grounds brought into compliance with ADD Standards Storage shed built Awnings added to building over outside public entrances Roof repairs Renovation of Chief’s & Secretary’s office New Epoxy on apparatus floor and floor tiles & ceiling tiles throughout building     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



The new President of the Association, George Nichols, was introduced to the board by the Chief.  The board congratulated George on his appointment.  George announced that on June 29th the annual department cookout will be held here at the station.  All district board members, as well as the crew, are invited to attend.


XII. – Adjournment –

Milton made a motion to adjourn the meeting.  George seconded it. 

The motion carried. 

 

The annual meeting of the Harmony Fire District was adjourned at 10:57 am.

 

 

Respectfully Submitted,

 

Signature - Kimberly S

 

Kimberly S. Barber

Tax Collector/Secretary